A new beginning
by LaBelle.et.LaBete
Summary: Alot of people have thought of different ways for Fran and Max to meet. Well here's another one. It's gunna be different and unlike any you've read. It has lots of twist and turns but still contains that background of The Nanny we all know and love. So si


Fran Fine. She was a flashy girl with lots of chutzpah. Fran was sweet; a little rough around the edges, but none the less charming. By looking at her you could tell this girl was special. All her life her dream, or her mother's dream rather, was to find that special man with whom she would spend the rest of her life with. She thought for sure she had found him. His name was Danny Imperiali. They had been high school sweethearts and now she worked in his bridal shop. Danny was a simple man. When I say simple, I don't mean a man with simple taste easily pleased. He had a small mind. He was no match for her at all. This Jewish girl from Flushing may have thought that was as good as it got for her, but little did she know she was meant to have so much more…

"Fran! I have something to tell you!" screamed Val. Val Toriello was Fran's best friend, and had been since early childhood. Val also worked in the bridal shop. "What is it Val?" "Yesterday, when you were off work, some delivery guy dropped off a package for Danny. He wouldn't tell me what it was, but I overheard him talkin on the phone saying something like, "Oh, she'll be happy alright. She's been waiting forever for me to do this." "Oh Val, what do you think it is?" "I don't know. I tried to hear more, but some loud mouth customer walked in." "Oy! I told Ma I wasn't workin yesterday. "If ya need me go to the chatterbox." I said. I tell ya, she's gunna have to switch to quieter foods when she's on the phone!" "Well how are we gunna find out what the package is?" "Oh, it's probably nothing important. I'll ask Danny over dinner tonight. He's takin me to Benny's Clam Bar!" "Oy Fran! That's so romantic! He hasn't taken you out to dinner since he asked you to be his girlfriend. That was in tenth grade!" "I know!" "Wait, don't ya see? He only takes you out to dinner when he wants to advance the relationship." "Oh my God Val! Do you think he's gunna propose!" "What?" "Marriage! Oy." "Oh! Oh Fran I'm so happy for you!" "I'm getting married! I gotta call Ma!" Well, seeing as how Flushing was the capitol of yenta central, after Sylvia found out half of Queens knew.

When the couple arrived at Benny's Calm Bar, there were many smiling, familiar faces. Fran felt her stomach churn. She knew her mother had blabbed. If Danny found out she, let alone Flushing knew, would he still pop the question? However, it wouldn't be too difficult a task hiding the fact everyone already knew. Danny wasn't bright at all, and Fran was so clever. She stood by her chair as Danny walked up beside her. Fran thought to herself, "Aww! He's gunna pull my chair out for me!" "Excuse me doll." Danny said, walking behind her towards her chair. He bent down to pick something up. He said grinning like a child, "Found a quarter!" He then proceeded over to his own chair and plopped down. Fran rolled her eyes and sat down with a sigh. After all, he _was_ proposing. Throughout the dinner, Danny belched and slopped through his food. Fran, trying to hide her disgust, asked "So why did you decide to take me out tonight? Is there anything special you want to say?" Danny, looking up with fish on the corner of his mouth smiled at her. "Yea! Frannie, you're a special girl. We've been together for quite some time." "Oh my God this is it!" she thought. "I've been thinking." "Yes?" "Maybe we should call it quits." "Yes! Oh I would love to-what!" "I've been seein a lot of Heather Biblow lately and well, she's my girl now. Not to say it hasn't been fun. Frannie you've been great!" "I can't believe what I'm hearing! I thought you were proposing!" "Proposing what?" "Marriage you big…big…ugh!" "Marriage! Now wait a minute Frannie." "Well, what was that package that came in yesterday. And Val said she heard you saying something like, "Oh she'll love it. She's been waiting a long time for this." "I was talking about Heather. She never thought I was gunna break it off with you and commit. The package was my wax kit." "You're really something Danny Imperiali! Well, let's see if you like this! I quit!" "Frannie.." "Don't call me Frannie! It's Fran to you now!"

With tears in her eyes, she stormed out and got into a taxi headed for Manhattan. She went into a club and ordered a large martini, planning to drown out the world. Now it wasn't like Fran to go out and get drunk, but she didn't really know what else to do. Her whole world was falling apart. She was angry, upset, and hurt. After a few drinks, she had become quite sloshed. A couple of men had come up to her. Seeing she was obviously very vulnerable, they were going to take advantage of the situation. "Hello sweetness! Would you like to come home with us?" one said. "No thank you!" she said. "Ah come on! We'll help you unwind!" the other said, grabbing her arm. "No! Now stop!" she pleaded. This situation had now grabbed the attention of a man a few tables away, Maxwell Sheffield. He was a handsome, respectful man. If there was one thing he would not stand for, it was seeing an innocent woman be mistreated. This was no exception. He quickly rose to her defense. "Excuse me. I don't think the lady is interested." "Hey back off pal!" Maxwell glanced at the guard in the doorway. The two men quickly caught on and left the scene. "Are you all right?" "I'm Fran Fine! I'll be fine." "I'm Maxwell Sheffield. Are you here all by yourself?" "Yup! It's just me and good ol' mista martini." She answered with a hiccup. "Here, why don't you come home with me and I'll make sure you get safely home." In the limo ride to the house, Fran leaned on his shoulder and wept. He couldn't stand seeing a woman cry. "There, there Miss Fine. I've got you now. You're safe." he said comforting her. Maxwell Sheffield was a kind and gentle man. He could be a bit stubborn and clueless at times, but was a real treasure. He was a wealthy, British, Broadway producer; a fine match. He had also been through a rather difficult time. Not long ago, he mourned the death of his wife Sara. All he had now was his three beautiful children and his trusty butler, Niles.

As the limo pulled up to the town house, he helped Miss Fine to the door. It was late, and the whole house would be asleep. As they walked in, Max turned on the light. This soon woke Niles who had fallen asleep on the couch watching television. "Niles, I need you to prepare the guest room for Miss Fine and bring us some tea." "Who is that?" "She's just a friend Niles." Maxwell said. Niles stood grinning in disbelief. "Alright, I found her at the club. She was in desperate need of help man! Now go!" he snapped. Maxwell wasn't quite sure what he was feeling. Ever since Sara left, he had been afraid to feel anything. He had worked hard in making himself numb. Max laid Fran down on the sofa. She drifted in and out of consciousness as he sat and watched over her. He couldn't quite explain it, but he was drawn to her somehow. He could see that she was hurt. His mind was plagued with questions. Who is she? Where did she come from? Why was she in such pain? Why did he bring her to his home? All he knew was, her name was Fran Fine and she was beautiful. She needed someone to show they cared. Perhaps it was the look which in her eyes. That look which was so familiar to him. It screamed, "I've lost a love. My heart is aching. I'm alone. I'm lost. I need someone to help me." That look had stirred up so many feelings for him. He sat beside her, stroking her hair as she slept. She looked so innocent. He felt a warmth inside of him when he watched her sleep, breathing slowly in and out. He hadn't felt this way in a long time. He couldn't allow himself to feel this way. She was a stranger to him. Yet, he felt he had known her all his life. What was it that made her so special? He watched her so intensely, as if she would disappear at any moment. Niles came back into the living room. "The room is ready." "Thank you Niles." He scooped her up and held her softly in his arms as he carried up the staircase. He put her to rest on the bed and sat by her side for a while until he felt sure enough to leave her. Soon, he got up and walked to the doorway turning to look upon that sweet face one last time before the door would close. As he lay in his bed, he thought of Miss Fine. This mystery woman who had captured him completely. When he finally drifted off to sleep, her face was locked into his dreams.

The next morning, Niles served breakfast. Maggie, Brighton, and Grace were all chatty about their upcoming day at school. They did, however, notice that their father was somewhat distracted this morning. "Dad, are you alright?" "Oh, yes Margaret. No need to worry." he said. Miss Fine was still asleep upstairs. Had the children found her? Were they aware of what was going on? If the were, what would they think? Would they be upset? Would they think he was leaving their mother behind and forgetting all about her? Maxwell was a caring father and was always worried about the children. He had no reason to worry. The children needed a mother figure in their lives. But what if it all fell apart? He couldn't bear to put them through that again. _He_ couldn't go through that again. Maxwell was relieved when the children had left for school. He took some breakfast and medicine up to her room. He imagined the headache she would have would be horrible. Again, before waking her he found himself amazed by her beauty. He warmly stroked her arm. "Miss Fine? Miss Fine are you alright?" he asked softly. Then she yawned and stretched her arms toward the sky. She grabbed her head and her face grew tense. She was now obviously feeling the payment for last night. She slowly lifted her eyes open to see this gorgeous man staring back at her. For a moment she couldn't speak and forgot her pain. Then came to her senses and asked, "What happened? Who are you? Where am I?" "Miss Fine, I'm Maxwell Sheffield remember? I found you at the club last night and brought you to my house." "Wait a minute here Mista you don't mean we…" "Oh no! No! We didn't uh.." "I don't remember you. Where's Danny? Why would I have come with you and left Danny?" "Who's Danny?" "Danny Imperiali, my fiancé!" "You were alone last night. I brought you here. You were a bit out of it." "What do you mean? Why would I have been alone when-wait…I remember now." Fran, again, began to cry. Maxwell wrapped his arms around her. "There, there Miss Fine. I'm here for you." "I thought he loved me. I thought he was proposing and he cheated on me with that…" she could barely get the words out. He understood now. The anger he felt towards this unknown man seemed insane. He didn't even know the woman he was holding. All he knew was he wanted to stop her pain. He wiped away her tears lovingly. "I brought you some tea and something for your headache. I'll draw you a nice warm bath while you're eating your breakfast. It'll make you feel better." "Thank you. I don't even know you." "Don't worry about it Miss Fine. I'll take care of everything." he smiled and left the room. Fran didn't know who he was, but she was grateful to him. She loved him for his kindness. There was something about him that even thought her heart was aching, he numbed the pain. She ate her breakfast and took a long bath. Since there was no bathroom in the room she had stayed in, he welcomed her into the one in his room. It was by far the most luxurious and relaxing. He left her and went to work. She walked about his room with fascination. She looked at the pictures of the children and smiled. Something about him amazed her. She felt like she was out of place in this beautiful home. It was a world away from Queens. Yet at the same time, she felt at home too. She ventured down stairs in her robe and found Niles. "Oh Miss Fine! How are you?" "I'm fine. Who are you?" "I'm Niles, the butler." "Oh. May I ask a question?" "Of course!" "Where is Mista Sheffield's wife?" "I'm afraid she passed away a few years ago." "Oh I'm sorry. I saw a picture of some kids up stairs." "Yes, the oldest is Margaret and then Brighton and little Grace." "Aww. They look so sweet. What does Mista Sheffield do?" "He's a Broadways producer." "Oh, Hoo Ha!" The doorbell rings and Niles moves to answer it while Fran looks around the living room. "Hello! Hello!" "Oh why are you here?" "I happen to work with Maxwell remember?" "Mhmm." C.C. Babcock had been working with Maxwell for quite some time. It was no secret that she had feelings for him. She and Niles would throw insults at each other and pull pranks. C.C. sees Miss Fine standing there in her robe and becomes concerned. "Who is that?" she asks with jealousy. "Why that's Miss Fine." "Who is she and what is she doing in a bath robe?" "Mr. Sheffield picked her up at the club last night. She just came from taking a bath…in his room." C.C.'s eyes widened. Niles loved leaving her mind with wonder. "Hi! I'm Fran Fine." "Hello." C.C. said as her eye twitched. "Uh, Niles, where's Mista Sheffield?" "He's in the office." "Thanks."

Maxwell sat behind his desk trying to finish his work. It was no use. He had thought Miss Fine all day and could center his mind on anything else. He was brought back to reality when he heard a knock on the door. Miss Fine entered the room. She looked so radiant in the early morning. He was surprised she was so comfortable to come down in just a robe. But that was Fran. "Hello Miss Fine! Feeling better?" "A little. Boy you've got some house here." "Thank you." "I'm the one who needs to say thank you. You've done so much for me. I really appreciate it." "Oh Miss Fine, think nothing of it." "I really do think I need to go home now though. Ya know, before my mother starts to worry too much." "Ah yes of course." Maxwell said, somewhat disappointed. But she was right. She did need to go home sometime. She couldn't just stay there forever. "I'll take you." The ride to her house was awkward. Each one was wondering what the other was thinking. As they pulled up in front of her apartment building, she leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Goodbye Mista Sheffield. Thank you." "Anytime you need anything, you know where I am." She smiled at him and he told her goodbye.


End file.
